It's official. You can now place an order with Pilatus to buy your very own PC-24 business jet — provided you can come up with the $8.9 million it will cost to do so. Pilatus confirmed at EBACE in Geneva yesterday that it is now taking orders for the twinjet, certification for which is expected in early 2017. The Swiss manufacturer plans to begin flight testing this summer at its home base in Stans. By the close of the the day today, Pilatus reported having recived orders for 75 PC-24s. Notable features of the PC-24 include a large rear cargo door similar to that of the PC-12 turboprop, as well as a beefy landing gear for operating from rough strips. The cabin will have room for six to eight passengers. Range is targeted at nearly 2,000 nm, while max cruise speed is listed at 425 knots at FL 300. By: Stephen Pope
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Gulfstream launched its latest luxury bizjet offering at a press conference preceding today's opening of the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva, Switzerland. Improving upon its highly successful G650, the Savannah, Georgia-based company launched the G650ER — ER for extended range — enabling the business jet to fly an additional 500 nautical miles. This translates to a range of 7,500 nm at Mach 0.85, giving the G650ER the longest legs of any business jet, according to Scott Neal, Gulfstream's senior vice president of worldwide sales and marketing. The extended range allows the G650ER to reach destinations that were previously not possible without a fuel stop. During flight testing the G650ER flew from Hong Kong to Teterboro, New Jersey, a distance of 7,494 nm, in 14 hours and 7 minutes, landing with NBAA IFR reserves. Neal said the airplane could fly from Geneva to Hawaii. Gulfstream has delivered more than 60 G650s since its introduction to the market in 2012. The main difference between the G650 and the G650ER is the size of the fuel tanks, allowing for an additional 4,000 pounds of jet-A for a total fuel capacity of 48,200 pounds. An increase in the gross weight has allowed the G650ER to maintain the 54,000 basic operating weight. The extended range capability requires no structural modifications and the ER option will be available as an aftermarket add-on for existing G650 customers. Pricing has not yet been released for the G650ER or the aftermarket modification. Gulfstream hopes to achieve FAA certification for the G650ER later this year, with first deliveries and the availability of upgrades in the first quarter of next year. Gulfstream said the original G650 will continue to be offered as well. By Pia Bergqvist French luxury jet builder Dassault threw down the gauntlet at EBACE in Geneva with the launch of the Falcon 8X, a new flagship trijet that is intended to go head-to-head with the class-leading ultra-long-range Gulfstream G650 and Bombardier Global family. The 19-seat Falcon 8X is a stretched version of the Falcon 7X that will boast a range of 6,450 nm, or about 500 nm more than the 7X, making nonstop flights possible between Beijing and New York, Hong Kong and Seattle, and Paris and Singapore. Priced at $58 million, the Falcon 8X will feature a fuselage that is nearly 4 feet longer than the 7X. Power will come from three Pratt & Whitney Canada turbofans that, when combined with an improved wing design, will offer a claimed fuel efficiency improvement of 35 percent over competing ultra-long-range jets. Dassault expects certification for the Falcon 8X in mid-2016, with deliveries to begin later that year. Written by: Stephen Pope |
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October 2014
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